[UPDATE 4:56 p.m.] Cruella-Like Villain Steals Puppies From Fortuna Home Right Before Christmas
A collage showing some of the stolen puppies. [All photos from Courtne Munson]
“My parents live off Palmer Blvd in Fortuna,” Munson told us this morning. “My dad had surgery so he was sleeping downstairs…Between 6 and 6:15, my mom noticed lights and heard the heard the puppies whining…She called out [my dad’s] name thinking he was up but he didn’t respond…While she was calling his name, the light turned off.”
The screens had been taken off both windows in the backroom where the puppies were kept.
Munson’s mom heard the kennel making a noise still so she got up and went downstairs. By the time she walked into the back room where the eight French Bulldog puppies were kept, “the windows was wide open and the puppies were gone.”
Munson’s mother rushed out the nearby door and tried to figure out where the puppies had been taken. She saw tail lights and believes that must have been the thieves. She also found one of the puppies that must have been dropped in the yard.
Munson believes there had to have been two thieves as there were eight puppies to carry.
The puppies are valuable, she told us, but, she said, “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to steal puppies without papers.” The only person she thinks that could succeed would be a dog breeder that could use “hanging papers”–essentially papers belonging to puppies that died but weren’t reported as dying.
Of course, Munson explained, “The DNA doesn’t match. But there is a very rare instance that people test and figure out they don’t have the right puppies.”
The property where the theft occurred is fenced and an acre in size. Also the finding the specific room where the puppies were located would take some knowledge of the place so Munson thinks that the thieves knew about the puppies and deliberately targeted them.
Munson is worried about the pups. “This specific litter is sick,” she told us. “They have not finished their medication so they may get sick again. They’ve been dosed twice and are getting better but the treatment is multiple days.”
The puppies are all distinctive. The thieves took six visual fluffy French bulldogs from one litter and a lilac and tan merle male French bulldog puppy that is slightly older. 
“We assume [the thieves] went back towards the Highway,” Munson told us. “We were hoping that someone has a [surveillance] camera that caught a vehicle [about that time].”
She asks that if anyone saw anything suspicious or sees puppies that fit this description they either call the Fortuna Police or her, Courtne Munson at (707) 672-2663.
Above are photos that show the pups quite young. Below are group photos showing them recently.
UPDATE 4:56 p.m.: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office put out a press release about the puppy theft:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information regarding the theft of numerous puppies from a Fortuna residence early this morning.
On Dec. 15, 2021, at about 6:37 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence on Page Way, in the county’s jurisdiction of Fortuna, for the report of a burglary.
According to the homeowner, an unknown suspect(s) reportedly entered through an unlocked window of the residence and stole eight high-value exotic French Bulldog puppies. One puppy was recovered outside of the home. Seven puppies remain outstanding at this time. According to the owner, the puppies are approximately 8 weeks old and require medication.
Anyone with information regarding the location of these puppies or involved suspect(s) is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
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What a doggone shame.
I hear these are going for more then a Lb of weed these days……😂
Try more than 10 lbs
Yes, and then they’ll cost multiple times more as they continue to have chronic health problems throughout their lives, as is the curse of their breed.
Indeed they are not a poor man’s dog.
So many haters on here if it wasn’t for dog breeders no one would have dogs and how many people have dogs most people have dogs and you think you’re doing good by going and buying a dog from the pound those are the dogs that are born to irresponsible pet owners if you want to stop and help animals out quit buying dogs from the pound which are usually Chihuahuas and Pitbulls bred by or birthed by everyone knows who, which are ignorant humans. If you want to help make sure that people get their dog spayed and neutered if they don’t want them to have puppies that is the number one most important thing.
Hope they are returned to their home
Needed some bear traps outside them windows
Sick puppies stealing sick puppies.
They are not necessarily sick, just need their first vaccinations for parvo, etc., probably.
The pups are all on medication. They are sick. Read
Gotcha, time for parvo vax, etc. too. If their sick with parvo, whoever stole them or gets them ain’t gonna have fun. Those pups be lucky to live at all.
She said they’re sick. Doesn’t reflect well on her breeding and animal husbandry practices that two month old puppies who have never left the house are already sick.
True that.
Dr Pol says it takes a minute to de-worm puppies, but way to diminish the elderly and sick home-invasion robbery victims.
Quit hating your jealous of the value . They live inside there home so I’d say they live good.
IMHO: Seems like the thieves had been in the house before.
They knew right where to go, and brought 2 of ’em to carry the pups.
Any local tweakers and bums who knew the owners in the neighborhood ?
BTW? Were the pups advertised for sale yet ?
I’m sure they were advertised for sale already, and that’s why all the cute soft-focus photos with bows and stuff. This lady breeds inherently defective dogs for profit.
Doubt it was bums or tweakers, but rival “breeders” or puppy flippers.
I’m sure the puppies you’re selling are top-quality all the way.
Those damn Snowflakes keep stealing shit. First the election now it’s the puppies🤷🏾♀️
One kinda looks like Trump and another looks like Bannon.
One person with a sack (like a pillow case) could easily carry the whole litter.
Going out on a limb here…
Maybe someone doesn’t like the idea of a “puppy mill” and rescued these pups from that kind of atmosphere.
These pups are used to make lots of money hence the “these are valuable” comment, 4000 to 20000 is the price I’ve seen these dogs go for. Hope they get them back safe and sound.
People suck and take the things that don’t belong to them.
Obviously not a puppy mill. Get a life with your rude comment. Your just jealous by those big numbers.
This breed of dog is harmful to the dog Sickly and malformed I do hope the puppies are fine but breeding these dogs is inherently risky
Do you know how many years Frenchies have been bred for And they are some of the coolest dogs you can find everyone loves these dogs and you want to make some ridiculous comment like that quit hating
I don’t see anything that indicates it is obviously not a puppy mill. What am I missing?
Exactly, multiple litters from different mothers. Not to mention these dogs don’t have natural births. They go under the knife each time.
The article said 6 from one mother and one older puppy. I suppose two is “multiple” but to go from 2 mothers to calling it a puppy mill is a giant leap.
Not sure if you read the part where it says “ Frenchie pharm” she indicates she’s a “breeder” These dogs don’t have natural birth meaning they get cut out each litter. Please explain how puppies for profit isn’t a puppy mill??
They do have natural births you don’t know what your talking about they are not English bulldogs you’re confused and seven dollars you’re talking about
Answer your own question with a question what do you see that makes it a puppy mill all breeders are monitored by the county. The puppies live inside there home wich is a good sign. People want pets. Quit hating on people. I’m thankful for the breeder that bred my dogs if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have beautiful purebred dogs save your breath for a real puppy mill I don’t like puppy mills either
*Youre*. As I’m you’re not fooling anyone
They’re not even being bred to AKC standards, and she’s selling them for big bucks to people who aren’t prepared to care for them, as long as they have the money.
A real, professional breeder only breeds dogs that have won dog shows and have passed veterinary health exams for hereditary conditions.
Compare the AKC standard for the breed to what she’s selling:
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/french-bulldog/
First, not sympathizing with the burglars, if they get caught they deserve jail time and criminal records even if they were doing it in the name of animal activism. Getting arrested and charged is the risk protestors who practice this kind of extreme action know they’re taking and violating someone’s home is not okay.
However, as far as calling these people a puppy mill:
I mean, the breeder’s business name is “Frenchy (F)arm” – they’re a puppy farm, and they don’t have a .com website; just a Facebook page that doesn’t mention any affiliation with The American Dog Breeders Association (https://adbadog.com/), The American Kennel Club, or the Better Business Bureau® – and I searched for them on BBB.org and found zero results.
Geeze, ran searches for “Frenchie Pharms” on four different breeder association databases, they’re NOT registered.
In fact, under AB 1634 – it’s illegal in California to breed without a license.
http://www.cahealthypets.com/ca-healthy-pets-ab-1634-responsible-pet-owners.php
SoOo, unlicensed dog breeders producing puppies for profit without papers? Yeah, I think “Puppy Mill” is a fair label.
Especially if it’s true that this specific sub-breed cannot safely give natural birth and needs surgical delivery more than rarely. In that case, then breeding them for profit is cruel. Doing so without any kind of Kennel Association membership? Extra shady sauce on the side.
Honestly, unless it turns out they have all their kennel membership and papers and just haven’t set up a legit website yet – if the pups were taken by animal activists who won’t abuse them, I can’t honestly say I feel too bad.
The BBB is just Yelp for baby boomers. It’s not a government agency, doesn’t have any enforce power, literally just a database where people make complaints and companies respond.
I agree that these people are not legitimate, responsible breeders. However, if they were “animal activists” performing a rescue, they would have taken the parent dogs as well to prevent future breeding.
Those pups are probably already being sold on Craigslist or in a fly-by-night puppy store hundreds of miles away.
Don’t you think that if they were worried and weren’t licensed or were doing something wrong they would’ve called the police hello quit hating on people get a life putting down productive people the community that have a business that obviously are successful and do something for people that want a nice pet and I’d say if you can afford a dog like that you can afford to take care of it pretty well I think people like you just are jealous and want to have a purpose in life which your purpose is obviously not helping anything but your own mind
This is happening across the US. Puppies are being stolen while they’re being walked by their owners and right out of their yards. Guard those babies people are crazy!
I have a lot of questions.
1) why were the windows unlocked
2)the puppies are kept alone(by themselves) in a room. Where were the adult dogs that would alert on intruders?
3) your husband who was downstairs didn’t hear anything?
4) if the light got turned on/then off without a response, you wouldn’t go check it out?
5)why blame in on another breeder, unless a breeder has been in your house and knows where you keep your dogs?
6) have you asked? Not everyone uses media, why haven’t you asking your neighbors yourself?
7)Have you looked at everyone your close to, clients that have gotten puppies from you before?
8)do you have a driveway on this acre or is your house right on the street?
This is a VERY sad situation, and ALL good questions but question #2 leaves BIG ????? In my head. They all look very young still to not be with their Momma.
Exactly
Some of the photos are when the puppies were younger. The bottom photos are more recent.
So many wannabe crime scene investigators, sheesh.
Its just a conversation Miguel. Did you graduate High School? sheesh!!!
Kym will likely delete this as should be.
I’m leave it at there was definitely adult dogs in the house, maybe they knew the intruders. A dogs hears is 10x better than ours was my point, even with the door open and the adult dogs being in another room would hear it if like stated above she was upstairs and heard the cages raddling enough for her to go check it out.
That was after she heard it raddling and the puppies whining. Noticed the light was on, etc.
The first question is pretty understandable, someone has 14+ thousand dollars. 14 at the least, in a room by two sizable windows and didn’t check the windows? I know people who’ve spent that on 1 puppy of this breed.
4-6 are just opinions really, can’t say they haven’t walked door to door. Half awake, just My opinion/questions since everyone’s had one about this situation.
7 is more a question for them, don’t leave anyone unaccounted for. Even the closest people to them since like I’ve wondered, why the adult dogs didn’t alert to the noises. And it seems like the thieves knew exactly what room the puppies were kept in as well.
8 is a curious question, I live on a little over a acre. There’s a drive way. The thieves would have been comfortable enough to go down your drive(if one) get to the back room windows and successful get all the puppies out. Drop one and rip out? Why I asked if they lived right off the road.
Anyway, I hope they’re returned safely and the owners are putting up security cameras Today! So this never happens to them again in the future.
Check your friends or family. Can’t be that many people that would know where the puppy were kept. Check the daughters friends. Somebody knows
Some of them do have numerous health issues and shouldn’t be bred. But I seriously doubt anyone was trying to “rescue” them.. selling them asap most likely. Poor puppies.. I hope they are found soon.
This is completely disgusting ,it was definitely someone that knew where to go in that house for sure I’ll be money on it💯💯
I pray that they get home safe and sound🙏🙏
Ahhhhh, the French bulldog, the rich dope growers dog of choice( at least not the ones they use to guard the dope farm). Then we have the greedy breeders, making a fortune and I guarantee not declaring it. Then finally the most common thing in Humboldt……Thieves How very Humboldt.
If you look at her FB page she describes herself as a dog breeder. These pups have been known to go for $75,000 EACH! I don’t condone theft, but look at the numbers. I wonder why she didn’t have her property more secure, cameras etc. She has that huge billboard on 101 up near Fortuna. I hear terrible things about the lives of these Frenchies, they are malformed as they were bred to have that cute squished face. But I do hope they are found, when all is said and done they are living beings with a heart beat.
There were two french bulldog billboards in Humboldt. They belonged to OCK (Oregon Coast Kennels) and Humboldt French Bulldogs. I haven’t seen one for Frenchie Pharms. There are over a dozen French Bulldog breeders in Humboldt County. I know because I follow them all. I have four frenchies and love them dearly! No health problems in the 8-10 years of owning them. I choose to support reputable breeders. I would never buy from a puppy mill or shelter. I like to know the pedigree/health and all pertinent information about my fur babies. Every dog I’ve bought came with DNA and health panels, AKC papers, certificates of health, pedigrees and vaccination records.
🤔🧐
In this case,
“Pet” theft,
is not exactly,
“Petty” theft.
😁
Here’s what an actual French Bulldog breeders has to say about “breeders” like this one:
https://bullmarketfrogs.com/french-bulldog-articles/no-merle-french-bulldogs/
Someone intending to try to sell them?
Or one of our flower children protesting professional pure-breeders for profit?
If the first, hopefully, publicity will make them impossible to sell and the owner will get them back.
If the second, at the very least if they see the puppies are sick they’ll return them so they can get their medicine; as no local vet will treat them without reporting them.
If it were a “rescue mission” they would have taken the adult dogs, too.
Somebody is probably selling them hundreds of miles from here.
A few things all puppy mills have in common:
1. Breeding parents spend their lives in 24-hour confinement to cages. It is common to see wire cages stacked on top of each other. They generally do not have protection from heat, cold, or inclement weather.
2. Dogs in puppy mills live in dirty, unsanitary conditions.
3. Dogs living in puppy mills receive little to no veterinary care (and puppy mill owners often provide veterinary care without anesthesia or veterinary training).
4. Mothers are bred every heat cycle and are usually killed when they can no longer produce.
5. puppy mills do not practice humane euthanasia. Dogs are killed in cruel ways, including shooting or drowning.
The bottom line is that puppy mills are all about profits. Any money spent on veterinary care, quality food, shelter, or staff to care for the dogs cuts into the profit margin.
This is not a mill operation. This a Humboldt success story turned tragic. This is a community member robbed while in their home.
Oh and by the way 10 lbs of Humboldts finest doesn’t even come close to the value of the stolen puppies. All together their value is worth about the same as an average home in this county at the moment.
They were literally robbed of an entire house worth of value.
If that is the case, and she was getting 30-75k per dog, not having cameras around the house and in the room is extremely unintelligent, sorry to say
100% agree 👍
I speculate that this wasn’t a theft for money, it was a liberation by local PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) followers. They perhaps liberated these poor creatures and will show them a better life.
If it were a “liberation” they would have taken the parent dogs, too, to prevent them from breeding more sick, deformed, inbred puppies.
Somebody’s flipping these puppies hundreds of miles away.
Lol her dogs don’t even meet the AKC breed standards.
Any dog is worth whatever someone will pay for them. I wouldn’t own a frenchie if it were free!
You couldn’t afford one if it was.
Yep. I would rather not have to spend a fortune on an inbred dog that’s allergic to literally everything, can’t swallow his food, and gets out of breath on the short walk from his bed to his bowl.
Dude, we get it. You are poor, that okay.
Good words that person is hating hard and a hero in there own mind.
Kym, I quoted the wrong legal code in a comment.
I remembered the one I referenced passing, it was in the news, but I guess it wasn’t all the way through the legal process and ultimately failed, so it was never actually put into law.
I refreshed the page while the comment was pending moderation and now I can’t see it so I can’t fix it. I don’t know if it got deleted or it’s still pending. It has incorrect information in it.
You haven’t posted under this name before so all your comments were held for moderation. Just comment below the comment with the wrong info and correct it. Unless you are signed in, then you can go back and edit.
I think I typed in my email address incorrectly. It should be [email protected]
Poor little guys. I hope for their safety.
The blue merle is going to be a pretty dog. I had a blue merle sheep dog and people would ask me where I bought the dog. It was all grey with only black swatches and blue eyes. It was a female and I tried to find a like male dog to breed her, but couldn’t find one so I had her fixed. She lived to be 19 years old. The best dog I have ever owned. Sad that some Jerkoff stole this one.
Breeding a Merle to a Merle makes for blind puppies
This is horrific. I was recently looking online for Frenchie puppies for sale, and I think saw these. I pray they’re found 🙏🏻
Are these the stolen puppies?
https://humboldt.craigslist.org/pet/d/fortuna-french-bulldog-puppies/7427262362.html